In London 2012, the first ever Saudi women – Sarah Attar (800 m) and Wodjan Shaherkani (judo) – were sent off to the Olympics. Shaherkani’s presence was unsure when her father objected to her not wearing the hijab. The International Judo Federation ultimately decided that she could wear a special sportshijab. Read more about these sportswomen here.

Is this a trend developing? It surely would be an interesting one, because such messages in the media are important. These women can be future role models to Saudi women who don’t have the same opportunities yet. The blanket of secrecy over social taboos – like women playing sports or women getting in touch with ‘strange’ men – is getting lifted by these stories. And this could result in more freedom for Saudi women to make their own decisions.

Hopefully, we’ll hear about many more ‘first Saudi women’ in the coming months.